Annie Mares column: Tools available to make effective message in video

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video should be worth - let's see, the length of the video times the standard 24 frames per second plus an arbitrary value for added sound - well, let's just presume a video is worth many, many more.

This may be one reason why two short-format video-sharing apps - Vine and Instagram video - are getting a lot of attention these days, particularly from marketers. Some big brands have represented the apps' early adopters.

Why the interest? With the increasing importance being placed on content marketing, brands have started utilizing the platforms as ways to feed the content marketing funnel with content that has the potential to be highly engaging.

In case you aren't familiar with Vine, Instagram video or both, here's a brief overview:

Introduced by Twitter in January, Vine videos are unfiltered, loop (like animated GIFs) and last up to 6.5 seconds. (Or as I like to say, micro videos from the micro blog.) Twitter and Vine apparently conducted scientific research to determine that 6.5 seconds is the perfect length for video consumption.

Instagram videos, on the other hand, can be up to 15 seconds long - the same length as standard pre-roll video ads. Launched in June within the original Instagram app and owned by Facebook, users can also apply filters (like static Instagram pictures) and stabilize Instagram Videos (no more motion sickness from shaky videos).

Both platforms require you to shoot videos from within the apps, so you can't import video you've already shot. You can also embed both Vine and Instagram videos on outside websites or share via Facebook and Twitter, along with Tumblr, Flickr, foursquare and email with Instagram.

So why should you care? Since both of these apps are free, you don't need to be a big brand or spend big bucks to get your videos rolling. Even small and medium-sized businesses can create videos as an added touchpoint with their customers and prospects.

In addition, rumor has it that video ads will soon be coming to your Facebook news feed, possibly even this fall. And perhaps not coincidentally, the ads will reportedly be 15 seconds long - just like Instagram videos. So it may be a good idea to start getting comfortable creating short-format videos, especially if you use Facebook ads as an advertising tactic.

That being said, it's not necessarily easy to create a concise, compelling and coherent video. If you are fortunate enough to have a trusted marketing partner, be sure to utilize their creative talents. If you don't, here are three tips:

1. Keep it simple, but not boring. If you use a variety of shots, make sure the message is clear to understand.

2. Plan ahead. While Instagram will let you delete your most recent clip if you want a retake, Vine forces you to start over.

3. Make it natural. As with any content marketing, people want to watch videos that inform, enlighten or entertain. So make sure it doesn't come across as a blatant promotion.

Finally, spend some time watching Vine and Instagram videos from other brands for inspiration. You can find tons of examples to help get your creative juices flowing. But viewer beware, while the videos themselves are short, it's hard to watch just one - so a few seconds may turn into a few hours of "research."

- Annie Mares is an account manager with Coalesce Marketing in Grand Chute. She can be reached at 920-380-4444 or annie@coalescemarketing.com.